CNC machines using high-pressure water jet processing, particularly water jet cutting systems having one or more nozzles, are generally known. Thus, for example, a brochure (BYJET, undated) of the firm Bystronic Laser AG, CH-3362 Niederönz shows a universal cutting facility, suitable for pure water jet cutting and for abrasive jet cutting. A CNC-controlled cutting carriage movable over a water basin carries one or more cutting heads which are fed by high-pressure pumps having up to 4000 bar nominal output. Depending on the cutting agent (pure water jet or abrasive-water jet) the cutting is performed over the water surface or under the water surface. For this purpose, equalizing containers are provided which allow level regulation of the water bed and particularly function during loading and unloading of the cutting grate or grid.
This known machine has the disadvantage above all that during the loading and unloading, significant standstill times arise, which massively impair the overall output of the system.
Water jet processing is also increasingly used in mass production, and it has advantages in relation to laser processing, but in contrast thereto, no changes in the microstructure arise at the processing point. In addition, diverse materials, such as plastics and natural materials, foods, etc., can bear no or only a slight thermal stress, so that some advantages, such as performance and precision in laser processing, often do not come into consideration.